Snap fit interlocking connector



Jan. 12, 1960 I. F. MATTHYSSE ETAL 2,921,287

SNAP FIT INTERLOCKING CONNECTOR Filed Jan. 18, 1957 I N VEN TOES ZkJ/NG EMA 1' m ysss BY JMs D. ANDERSON 2,921,287 SNAP FIT MERLOCKI-NG CONNECTOR Application January 18, 1957, Serial No. 635,009

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-258) Our invention relates to interlocking connectors, and more particularly to plug and socket connectors which permit the parts to snap fit together in a self-adjusting type of gripping connection. Such connectors resist separation until a tensile force of predetermined value is exerted.

It is a primary object of our invention to provide a socket type connector which will adequately maintain the connection even though one or more of the gripping elements fail in operation.

Other objects are to provide a socket connector with gripping elements which possess exceptional ability to adjust to variations in dimensions of the plug connector; to provide a connector with greater contact area with the plug connector; to provide a socket connector with less resistance to entrance of the plug connector without loss of total gripping power; to provide a socket connector with proportionally less movement of the gripping elements under the action of the plug connector with consequent less permanent deformation; to provide a socket connector with gripping elements which possess a better controlled spring grip of the plug connector; and to provide the foregoing objects in a connector which is not more diflicult to produce than previous types of socket connectors, and at no more cost.

We accomplish these and other objects and obtain our new results as will be apparent from the device described in the following specification, particularly pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of our socket connector.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectioned view taken in the plane 3-3 of Fig. l, with the plug connector partially inserted therein.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the plug connector fully inserted.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken in the plane 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectioned view of the socket of a modified form of connector.

The socket connector 10 comprises a body back portion 12 from which two curled fingers 14 and 14a extend on each side of the body to form four socket receiving clasps. The body, in addition, is provided preferably with conductor gripping fingers 16, and insulation gripping fingers 18 for electrically and mechanically securing the insulated wire 19 thereto.

The plug connector 20, provided with plug 22, is inserted into the socket connector 10, as shown in Fig. 3. Such plug connector is preferably provided with a dimple 24 on both sides of the plug 22 to permit the plug to be used from either side. An upset portion is formed by coining, through the bottom of the back section 12, to provide a ramp detent 26 which snaps into dimple 24 when in proper position.

To provide greater resistance to longitudinal bending,

the side. (walls 27 may obviously be provided on the edges 0f the body portion 12. The side walls may extend between the fingers,. as at 29, to control the flexibility-of the fingers.

v The metal ofthe socket connector may be of brass in the 3/4 hard range, or copper of a similar hardness, which will provide sufficient spring in the fingers to accommodate the plug 22 and grip it adequately.

The use of two sets of oppositely positioned pairs of fingers permits individual adjustment to the plug 22 when inserted therein. For example, in Fig. 3, the rear fingers 14a have adjusted themselves to the tapered end 28 of the plug, and are tilted at a different angle than are the front fingers 14. The front bottom portions 30 of each pair of fingers are preferably charnfered as at 32 to facilitate the plug entrance thereunder.

Thus, as the plug is inserted under the leading fingers, the initial entry is eased. The fingers are sprung slightly upward since the clearance between their lower surfaces 30 and the upper surface of back 12 is less than the thickness of the plug.

As the plug is further inserted into the socket, it is cammed upwardly as it rides over the detent 26. The leading and rear fingers accordingly, individually adjust themselves until the detent is seated with an audible snap into the dimple, and the plug is properly seated.

The rear or underside of the back portion 12 may be recessed or concaved as at 34 during the forming operation, to form a stronger and more resilient socket for the plug connection.

The use of separate leading and rear fingers on each side of the socket connector permits proportionately less movement as is apparent by the dot-dash line AA in Fig. 3, which would be the position of the fingers if both leading and back fingers were in one piece.

The ability of each finger to individually adjust to contour irregularities, enables more conducting contact area to be provided.

Manufacturing variations of both plug and socket connections are not nearly so harmful, since the individual fingers can be positioned lower to accommodate the undersized limits without exerting an excessive resisting force to the insertion of the plug with oversized dimensional units.

In Fig. 6 we disclose a modification of our socket connector in which the leading clasp fingers 114 are connected at the free ends thereof to the rearwardly positioned clasp fingers 114a by means of the integrally formed band 114]). The function of the integral band 11412 is to assist the plug connector 20 in passing from the leading to the rearwardly positioned clasp fingers without the necessity of camming under the rearwardly positioned fingers. Thus a smoother operation is provided when the plug is inserted into the socket connector. The independent action of the fingers is thereby controlled to any desired degree. The connecting integral band prevents the possibility of the rearwardly positioned fingers from becoming accidentally jammed in the operation of the device.

We have thus described our invention, but we desire it understood that it is not confined to the particular forms or uses shown and described, the same being merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the spirit of our invention, and, therefore, we claim broadly the right to employ all equivalent instrumentalities coming within the scope of the appended claim, and by means of which, objects of our invention are attained and new results accomplished, as it is obvious that the particular embodiments herein shown and described are only some 3 4 r of the many that can be employed to attain these objects fingers on the same side operating independently of the and accomplish these results. other fingers within the limits imposed upon them by We claim: reason of the integrally connected thin band of metal. A socketconnector for use with a plug type connector, said connector comprising a base, a pair of leading clasp 5 References Cited in the file of this patent fin ers, and a pair of rearwardl ositioned clas fin ers eac h of said pair of fingers beirfg iforrned integrflly \iith UNITED STATES PATENTS said base, the free ends of each of the fingers on the 2,763,848 Tuchel Sept. 18, 1956 same side of the connector being integrally connected 2,774,951 Kinkaid et a1. Dec. 18, 1956 to each other by a thin band of metal, each of said 10 2,789,278 Soreng Apr. 16, 1957 

